Ford’s MyKey feature, which will fitted as standard equipment on the 2010 Ford Focus US model and will quickly become standard on a range of other models, allows owners to program a key that can limit the vehicle’s top speed and audio volume. MyKey also encourages safety-belt usage, provides earlier low-fuel warnings and can be programmed to sound chimes at 45, 55 and 65 miles per hour.

MyKey is appealing to parents of teen drivers, including 75% who like the speed-limiting feature, 72% who like the more insistent safety-belt reminder, and 63% who like the audio limit feature, according to a recent Harris Interactive Survey conducted for Ford.

About 50% of US respondents who would consider purchasing MyKey also said they would allow their children to use the family vehicle more often if it were equipped with the new technology. The added seat time can help teens build their driving skills in a more controlled setting, complementing graduated licensing laws that give young drivers more driving freedom as they get older.

The MyKey system allows the parent to program any key through the vehicle message centre, which updates the SecuriLock passive anti-theft system. When the MyKey is inserted into the ignition, the system reads the transponder chip in the key and immediately identifies the MyKey code, which enables certain default driving modes, including:

• Persistent Ford Beltminder with audio mute. Ford’s Beltminder system typically provides a six-second reminder chime every minute for five minutes. With MyKey, the Beltminder chime continues at the regular interval and the audio system is muted until the safety belt is buckled. A message centre display “Buckle Up to Unmute Radio” also appears on the instrument cluster.

• Earlier low-fuel warning. Rather than a warning at 50 miles to empty, MyKey provides a warning at 75 miles to empty.

• If MyKey is in the ignition, features such as Park Aid and BLISTM (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert cannot be deactivated.

Ford has no plans to introduce the system into Ford vehicles in Europe.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment